Look Beyond Onyx eyes
by Gaarazlilmiss
Summary: He can help me, it won't be so bad, but he's looking for a girl to help rebuild his clan, and I'm forced to find someone for marriage to help mine, when will they stop pushing us together, I'm sure we can just remain friends...I hope. SasuHina
1. A cold Rain

Look Beyond Onyx Eyes

In the mood for writing fics! I don't know why. This is something odd to write considering I don't really like Sasuke in the show or manga, but when it comes to pairings, I love him with our shy Hyuuga girl. Hope all you SasuHina fans enjoy this. I warn you, this will go slow. You can't just push people together like that, it makes the story uninteresting.

Chapter one: A Cold Rain

Grey clouds rippled angrily in the sky, making their short lived journey across it, accompanied by the bright flashes of lightning and roaring thunder. A cold rain drizzled down on the late night of Konoha, and no one was walking the depressing streets, except for one girl. At the age of 19, you'd think Hinata had all the freedom in the world to walk along the streets, considering she was a legal adult, you'd think she would actually be indoors because of the horrendous weather, but no. Hinata was walking the streets of Konoha, without permission from her father. Yes, Hinata still had to have permission to be out late, and do as she pleased, and why? All because she was born to the main branch of some stupid family who didn't understand the first thing about her.

Hinata's hood was pulled over her head, her eyes watching the ground and her hands jammed into her pockets. She hated it, training to please a father who would never be pleased, but she did it anyway, in hopes that one day he'd see beyond what she could do. She'd been doing it almost since the day she turned three. It wasn't fair what she had to do, and the rain shared in her sorrow as she walked towards the Hyuuga compound. The only person who understood her was Neji and Hanabi, and those two could do little to stand in the way of Hyuuga Hiashi's wrath. As Hinata rounded a corner to the compound, she stopped when she saw the silhouette figure of an unmistakable Sasuke Uchiha, pounding away at a small log in front of him without mercy.

Hinata stopped for awhile, despite being drenched. Seeing Sasuke train like that, she knew from that day forward, there was just something different about her. A chain of thoughts ran through her head in a fury as she thought about all the things that other people did that she didn't. For starters, they weren't quitters, and didn't let things get in the way of their success. Sadly, Hinata had no choice. She just couldn't not easily give up. They would train relentlessly, without mercy. Hinata did too, but she just didn't see herself as good as Sasuke. She left when rain started to fall. From the looks of his mud splattered Uchiha clothing, he'd been at it for awhile. Hinata winced as she felt a pang of hurt shoot up her right leg. Quickly reaching down to grasp it, Hinata watched as blood from a reopened wound seeped down her pale calf.

"You should go home. It's raining, and you're hurt." Sasuke said, suddenly.

Hinata's gaze quickly reverted towards the Uchiha. She hadn't made a noise, and he hadn't turned around to see her bleeding, and little at that. People did say that when Sasuke returned from Orochimaru those 2 years ago, that he'd become much keener, and his style was changed greatly, not to mention like the rest of them, he'd improved strength and mental wise. So maybe it was no surprise he could sense such small things.

"I-I'm sorry to have disturbed you." Hinata said.

"Nm…" Sasuke said not looking at her as he continued to hit away at the chunk of wood before him.

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That morning, Hinata awoke. She sat up, and a look of pain crossed her face. She lifted her shirt ever so slightly to see dark black bruises across her skin. Not only that, but cuts and gashes were all over her. How Hinata could cause so much damage to herself training was beyond her, but she knew, even alone, that training with the Hyuuga style, and also trying out a jutsu she wasn't even sure worked properly yet, maybe it was quite possible to cause pain to herself. She sneezed, and the bridge of her nose turned a rosy pink as it began to irritate because of the sneeze. So she was also sick. That was wonderful, and as much as she hated to admit it, it was all her fault that she was sick. A solid knock hit her door.

"C-come in." Hinata said weakly. Today was already not her day.

Hanabi stepped into Hinata's room, carrying a tray with steamed rice and grilled red salmon on it, a pair of wooden chopsticks placed neatly on one side, and a ceramic green glass of hot tea on the other. Hanabi looked tired, and sweaty. "Here Onee-san. I'm sorry if it's not that good, I just started getting good at cooking." Hanabi said as she placed the tray on Hinata's lap.

"Thank you, Hanabi." Hinata said. She looked at Hanabi's form. "Why do you look so tired?" she asked quietly.

"I've been training with father, and I got done about a half an hour ago. I didn't want you up cooking in your state, so I prepared this for you before you got up." she said.

Hinata smiled sweetly at Hanabi. Even though she knew Hanabi should have cleaned up first because it seemed better to cook that way, Hinata knew that the meal was simple to cook, so it didn't bother her. She started to eat her food slowly. It was actually very good. "Hanabi, this is excellent." she said looking up at her as she ate her food more vigorously.

Hanabi's face caught a slight blush as she took her sister's compliment. "Thanks Onee-chan." Hanabi said.

"HANABI! We aren't done yet, you need to be ready for training again in at least fifteen minutes, and-" their father stopped when he reached the doorway and peered in.

Hanabi could have sworn her heart had stopped.

Hinata stopped eating her food and bowed her head. "Ohayo." she said simply.

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "Ohayo." he said blandly. "Hinata, I wanted to speak with you privately anyway." he said.

Hanabi took this is a sign that she needed to leave, and bowed quickly to her father before exiting the room.

Hiashi watched as she left, then turned back to Hinata. Compared to Hinata's smooth lavender orbs, Hiashi's were stern, cold and distant looking, as if he could care less about a thing in the world. "You understand that what you did yesterday is unacceptable?" he asked.

Hinata looked at him, fear etched out on her face. She prayed that Neji, or someone would rush back into the room to save her… no such luck. "Yes father." she said.

"You see, I don't understand why you have to be so disobedient. All I ever ask of you is to be of worth. You can do it, but you always do a bit less than you are capable of." he said. "You left without telling me yesterday, and I'm sure you didn't know that there was a meeting with the elders yesterday…?" he asked.

Hinata looked even more ashamed.

"We had to continue without you, and it was about you becoming the leader of the clan too." he said. "Since you've already seemed to…punish yourself, I will not do anything this time, but if the elders keep complaining about you not showing up to meeting sometimes and being a bad example, I will have to consider making changes." he said. "Anyway, the fact of the matter is that you will be becoming the clan leader soon. It is time that you considered marriage." he said.

Hinata was not surprised by this. It had been since her sixteenth birthday that the elders started hinting it at her, and then about a year later, actually bringing up the idea fully. Hinata just didn't know who yet. Naruto was out of the question. She had outgrown that crush years ago. Sadly, he did wind up with Sakura, and they had a nice year long relationship, until Naruto found out that Sakura was with Sai the whole time, being the Sakura she was, and had become the mother of Sai's son, Sobuto. Today, the kid was one. Naruto had never been so mad in his entire life, and Sai barely escaped with his life, seeing that Naruto had almost unleashed the fox on him. After that episode, Hinata didn't want to cross that bridge ever with Naruto, and since he did get Sakura, she didn't think he'd be interested in her anyway. On top of that, Hiashi nor the Elders would accept such a boy as the heir's husband. There was no one else now, and so Hinata had a problem. Either she'd marry someone with no love between them for the rest of their lives, or she'd give up heir and be sent to the side branch. The last option barely made sense to her, but it was said that it was disgraceful to give up such an honorable duty, and therefore, she deserved a fitting punishment.

"You know that you have the freedom to choose whomever you would like to present to our clan for marriage, but they have the power to turn down that possible candidate if they deem him unworthy of the responsibility." Hiashi explained.

Hinata nodded.

"But you only have two years. If you don't find one in two years, your husband will be determined for you, and if you refuse, you will be sent to the side branch…" Hiashi said. Hinata thought she heard a pang of guilt in his voice.

"That is all I have to say. For today, there are no meetings or anything as far as I know, and if one comes up, I will summon you, but I don't think you'll want to go too many places with the pain you should be in." Hiashi said.

"I did promise s-some friends I'd visit them today." Hinata said. She'd go out to the garden when she felt like getting up, and grind up some herbs to heal her aching wounds. The wounds would heal up quickly, and she could go visit her friends like she promised.

Hiashi nodded. "Very well. Do not be out too late, or I will send people out to find you." Hiashi warned.

Hinata nodded. "Hai, father." she said as she watched her father exit. As much as it was going to pain her, Hinata sat up and began to get dressed.

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Sasuke did the usual. Woke up, dressed, looked around his desolate apartment for something to eat before he headed out to train for about two hours, met Naruto at the Ramen shop to just chat, Sakura was to busy with her brat, avoided Kakashi's disappointed gaze every time they saw each other, and when all that was over, well, it went completely out of the beginning schedule. Today seemed pretty boring to him. So much water was on the ground, it wasn't really that lively. It was starting to rain a lot more often, maybe it depicted his loneliness. Sasuke had Naruto and Sakura, but the other people in Konoha sure did hate him. They tried not to show it, but there wasn't much you could hide from Sasuke. He kicked a couple of rocks in his path, and kept on walking. Today just seemed so…stupid. There was one thing that had been on Sasuke's mind the whole time though, that was what kept him from being too bored. Trying to figure out how on earth he was going to rebuild his clan.

Sakura was unfit now that Sai had claimed her, not that he liked her in the first place, and Ino was starting to see Shikamaru now. Ten Ten and Neji were thinking about going out, and Sasuke was never into that older girls thing, Temari, too far away and just not right for him, nope, no one. Then as he walked and came upon two of the named girls talking and one other, he glanced at that one and observed her. He felt almost guilty he'd left her out, almost, but who would notice when you were a quiet little girl who had eyes only for one stupid dobe in his words? He wasn't even sure if she still liked Naruto.

Hinata Hyuuga.

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Hinata had long since meant up with Ten Ten and Ino. They'd decided to go check out a new store that opened up. Hinata wasn't really into the shopping thing, but she did enjoy looking at simple things. Ino would claim that everything Hinata picked up was to kiddish, and Ten Ten would think it was too girlish. Ino would go for revealing, more adult like clothes, while Ten Ten went for a tomboyish style. Hinata liked simple things. A plain white t-shirt and a pair of Capri's were all she needed. She loved her jacket, but she'd…grown out of it, and so she was actually looking for a new one. The hoodie she wore last night didn't count. Didn't even belong to her. It was something Ten Ten had left, and she never returned it, nor did Ten Ten ask for it back, and she said she could have it, but it wasn't exactly nice looking.

After the girls had done their shopping, they stopped outside the shop deciding where they should get something to eat.

Hinata clutched the black plastic bag her new jacket was in to her, and listened to Ten Ten and Ino bark back and forth about it.

"HINATA!!" Ino yelled obnoxiously and made Hinata snap out of her quiet state.

"Y-yes Ino-chan?" she asked.

"Where should we eat? I mean, I don't want to go to some greasy old fish stand, and Ten Ten here doesn't want to go get dango and tea, so what do you think we should do, and DON'T say ramen." Ino said.

Hinata thought about it. "W-well…" she said as she placed her finger to her lips in thought. She then absently looked over and saw a sight she thought she'd never see.

Sasuke Uchiha was staring her down like a piece of meat.

Hinata froze and stared back at Sasuke, stunned out of her skin.

"Well Hinata?" Ten Ten asked. She looked at her stunned friend and followed her gaze to Sasuke, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Ino looked back and fourth between the two.

Sasuke turned his head and kept walking on, he didn't even look back once.

"What the hell was that all about???" Ino asked in pure confusion, and loudly at that.

"I don't k-know…" Hinata said. Why was he looking at her like that? Sure she'd been there last night maybe watching him train…had she offended him somehow? Was he maybe not staring at her? So many questions swam through her head. 

"Um…anyway, food, Hinata?" Ten Ten asked as her stomach made an unpleasant sound.

"My house. I can make something for us to eat." Hinata said. Her father never really bothered her when friends were over unless something urgent came up. Besides, he was always busy doing things of his own. He wouldn't mind.

"Sounds good. Let's go Ten Ten." Ino said and the two followed Hinata towards the Hyuuga compound.

"Yeah, Maybe Neji will be there??" Ten Ten asked in more of a question as she looked at Hinata.

"He should be. At about this time, he usually trains, but I'm not sure today, I mean, it's really muddy." Hinata said.

"Yeah" Ino cut in, "Wouldn't want to mess up that pretty hair of his…" she said sarcastically.

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Sasuke headed towards an old favorite spot of his: The place that Kakashi trained Sakura, Naruto, and himself when they were going to either become Genin or academy students once more. He sat on the largest stump that sat up out of the ground and thought.

Hinata Hyuuga was a possible candidate. She would be easy to understand, simple from what he gathered, and she was also physically fit in a way that would serve well. On top of that, she was from the Hyuuga family. They'd accept him, he was sure of it, no matter what he'd done, they'd always be a bit greedy for the sharing an, and what he had to propose was something they'd probably agree to fully. Although all of this was perfect in a way, Sasuke knew that it would be awfully hard in a way. Hinata seemed too needy for the job on the negative side. She seemed like she was a person who would need affection and love, and Sasuke knew he wasn't good for that. How would he get her to comply? Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all…what other Kunoichi was good enough, known enough? None of them.

Naruto jumped on a shorter log beside Sasuke's and sat down. "I know you're thinking, teme…so what's it about? Can't be about Itachi anymore…" Naruto said.

Sasuke looked at Naruto out the corner of his eyes. "Why do you want to know?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

"Because you know I train here, and here you are all in the way!" he said. "So I might as well know why you're here." he said.

Sasuke sighed. Naruto always had to get into his head like this. "I was thinking about…how you should leave now." he said.

"I DON'T HAVE TO LEAVE!! I _train_ here. Understand?" he asked.

Sasuke said nothing. "Naruto, what do you think about Hinata Hyuuga?" he asked.

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "Well….she's quiet….and…that's all I really know about her. I mean, aside from all that stuff that happened during the Chunnin exams, Hinata is pretty much a mystery to me." he said.

Sasuke sighed. Of course, no help. Poor guy never even realized that she knew EVERYTHING about him probably.

"Why do you ask?" Naruto asked.

"…Just curious." Sasuke said.

Naruto got a sneaky grin on his face. "Oh, you like her, don't you? Well, if you want me to put it that way, it sure would be interesting!" he said.

Sasuke sighed. "Whatever. I'm leaving. Do whatever you're going to do Naruto." Sasuke said as he took his leave.

Naruto sighed. "Still hasn't changed…or maybe it's gotten worse!" Naruto said as he prepared to train.

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At the Hyuuga compound, Hinata led Ten Ten and Ino into the large kitchen where she pulled out many things to make sushi rolls and tea. "What do you all like in your sushi?" Hinata asked as she put on a pot of water.

"Shrimp and cucumber." Ten Ten replied.

"All vegetables, just no onions and stuff like that." Ino replied lazily as she leaned up against the white marble counter.

Hinata pulled out the ingredients and utensils and began to work on making the sushi.

"So Hinata, why was freak-that-I-can't-believe-I-use-to-like staring at you?" Ino asked curiously as she sat and placed her head in the palm of her hands.

"I d-don't really k-know…" Hinata said honestly. "I didn't do anything to him, I don't even really know him!" Hinata replied.

"Watch out for him. He's insane! I mean, I heard that when he came back, he was like a dark, soon to be Orochimaru or something, and that's scary." Ten Ten replied helping herself to a peppermint on the table.

Hinata listened quietly chopping the fish up into small portions and then cleaning the utensils off to use for the vegetables.

"Really? Freaky…" Ino said. "Now that he's done what he aimed to do, which was destroy Itachi, he just wanders around here like he has no life. Some guy, right?" Ino asked with a shrug.

"I suppose." Ten Ten said. "And aside from looks, he isn't really that amazing. I wasn't really that into him . I may have thought he was good looking, but that was all." she said. "And now, he doesn't even have that many fan girls, talk about a dumb move…or maybe to him that's a plus." Ten Ten added thoughtfully.

After a bit of quiet, Hinata had finally finished preparing the sushi and placed the rolls in front of Ino and Ten Ten according to their preferred tastes along with small cups of hot tea, and sat down herself with her own favorite, cucumber, crab and lots of rice.

Neji walked in and saw the girls chatting and eating and glanced hopefully at the counter.

Hinata giggled. "Don't worry Neji-niisan, there are ten rolls on the counter for you as well." Hinata replied.

Neji liked a heap load of caviar on his. How someone could consume so many fish eggs was beyond her, but it was possible apparently.

Neji nodded in thanks to Hinata as he picked up the plate and began to eat the sushi, much to Ino's surprise, without so much properness and stature.

Neji didn't even look at Ino, but replied, "I don't always have to be so prim, do I?" he asked.

Ten Ten smirked as she walked over and joined Neji by the counters.

Hinata and Ino exchanged glances as the stood up, and Hinata rinsed the dishes used off. She and Ino left the two soon be's to themselves.

Hinata still wondered what the Uchiha's problem was today. She'd never had such an encounter with him, so she was of course startled by far, and to tell the absolute truth, she didn't know if she wanted to receive another look like that again. She would remember to stay clear…

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Thank you all who read this. Yes, it is really unlike me, but I had to test this pairing out. If you all like it, I will definitely continue to update. Thanks for reading it, Ja ne!


	2. I think he likes You

Look Beyond Onyx Eyes

Thank you to all my reviewers! I thought I'd take a little bit and thank you each personally!

Kimmy666-Thank you so much for the awesome review! I recently became a SasuHina fan myself, and so that's why I wrote this story. I guess even though Sasuke was a jerk in some episodes, I started to understand where he was coming from, so I wrote this fic.

Jigoku Esther-What's going to happen is quite surprising actually, even though I'm the author, I still think the outcome is going to be good. So here is your update Jigoku!

Queen46-Thank you. I promise it'll continue to be awesome!

WinterKaguya-Hello ! Thank you so much for your review, and yes, I thought making Ten Ten funny would be nice. She gives me that kind of impression, my reasons…not sure. By the way, can't wait to finish reading your awesome story!

P.R Gurl-Thank you. I'm happy you thought so, and here is the promised update!

Heavenleehime-I appreciate it very much. Hopefully, the way I'm trying to develop is to your liking!

Foreveralone16-Great. SasuHina fans have to stick together . Yeah, staring her down like a piece of meat. I thought that would be pretty amusing, and believe it or not, I got the idea from another story of mine, from a review. Ever since, I've wanted to put it in a story somewhere, and here it is.

NanamiYatsumaki-Thank you so much. I'm happy you liked the start. Hopefully, the ending will be good for you too.

Inimi-Yeah, I realized that most stories have the same line, but my story will gather a more in depth plot soon, like most of my stories. I like complicated plots. It makes the story longer and more interesting. Also thank you for the good writer comment. I'm happy that you think so! And here is the update so you can continue reading!

Without a care-Thank you very much! I'm happy you want to continue reading it, and I'll make sure your read is going to keep you on the edge of your seat! Please keep reviewing

Kenshinlover2002-It is a nice pairing, isn't it? Well, here is the update!

Luffy02-The Naruto/Sakura/Sai thing is my entire reason why Hinata chose not to be with Naruto. I mean, more complication if she's still in love with him, have to have a reason for her not to like him. Here is your update.

Again, I really appreciate all the reviews! I honestly didn't expect to get this many for the first chapter, let alone the story since I'm fairly new to SasuHina ((Writing it anyway)) and I didn't know if I captured them well or not. Promise the plot will thicken a LOT soon. Hope you'll be able to keep up!

Chapter two: I think he likes you

That night, Ino and Ten Ten had long since gone. Ten Ten left later, but she made sure to say goodbye to Hinata, sometimes she actually forgot. Hinata actually wondered if she was only her friend because of Neji…nah, that was nonsense. She'd been Hinata's friend even when Neji was a jerk to her.

She sat on a small cushioned nook by her ground level window and gazed out, watching the sun set in the sky slowly fading together a mixture of colors. Stray rain clouds obstructed some of the view, and Hinata wondered if it was going to rain again. Konoha was sure to be under water once the spring season was over.

Hinata got up and changed into a warm bed yukata, which was an off white, almost beige color with pure white linings. She let her indigo hair fall freely over her shoulders as she brushed it, and braided it. Lying down, Hinata's mind traveled over everything she thought of before she slept. Her friends, the clan, missions…but this time before she drifted off, her mind grazed a new subject. The mysterious Uchiha. For some reason, even though it didn't seem like such a big deal, she had the oddest tugging feeling it was a big deal. She tried telling herself that coming back from Orochimaru and all, he might just be going crazy…she didn't like to think so, but that's all she could land on. Tomorrow, she thought about going to ask Sakura about that before she was sent on a mission. Before the day had ended, she was informed by Shizune that she'd be going on a mission with someone, but Shizune didn't tell her exactly who. She had to be up early, and speaking of early, she should try to sleep instead of going on and on in her head about that strange man.

Hinata closed her eyes reluctantly, and even though she tried, it took her at least half an hour before she actually drifted into a comfortable sleep.

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Hinata woke up early, and dressed for the mission. A pair of ninja Capri's with a fishnet top covered by a stomach guard, a jounin's vest. She tied her hair back, and slid on her sandles.

Hanabi was already seated at the table when she walked in, eating what looked like a meal for two families. Hinata rose an eyebrow at her sister. "Hanabi, if it weren't for father's training, you'd be as big as a pumpkin." Hinata joked with a small grin.

Hanabi smirked. "But see? That's the reason that I can afford to eat as much as I want." she said popping some fried shrimp into her mouth.

Hinata shook her head as she reached in the ridge for a small bottle of grape juice and grabbed a pear. "I guess I'll be on my way." said Hinata.

"See ya, and be careful on your mission today!" Hanabi said.

Hinata walked out and waved back at Hanabi.

Before she left on the mission, like she planned to do the night before, she stopped by Sakura's. She knocked and waited for an answer. There was none. "I wonder if she went to the hospital today…?" Hinata asked. As she turned to leave, Sakura answered the door. Her hair was a complete mess, her eyes, blackened, like she had hardly any sleep, if any. "S-sakura…chan?" Hinata asked concerned.

"Yes, Hinata?" Sakura asked.

"Um…well first off, are y-you okay?" Hinata asked.

Sakura smiled weakly. "Kids are more trouble than their worth." she said with humor although Hinata knew she didn't mean it. Sakrua stepped aside to allow Hinata in.

"Where is Sai?" asked Hinata.

"ANBU mission." Sakura said shortly. "Want anything?" she asked.

Hinata shook her head.

"So what brings you here?" Sakura asked.

"Just a couple of questions…" Hinata said.

Sakura left for a brief second and came back out with Sobuto. The kid had a strange hair color, seemed to be a purplish color, more than likely a mix between the navy and pink hair. She sat on the couch and gestured for Hinata to have a seat as well. "Questions, huh? Fire away." she said.

"Alright…what do you think about…Sasuke now?" Hinata asked.

Sakura looked at Hinata, a bit shocked. "Oh no, Hinata…he's nothing to chase after. I'm starting to think he doesn't even like girls. Don't try your luck, like I did." Sakura said.

"It's n-not that…well…never mind." Hinata thought she'd sound silly saying that he stopped at glared at her like a maniac.

Sakura grinned. "Don't worry about him, alright? Don't you have a mission today, or something?" she asked.

Hinata nodded. "Um, yes…see you later Sakura. Get some rest." Hinata said.

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"Hinata…you're late." Tsunade said.

Hinata bowed feebly. "I-I am sorry Tsunade-sama." she apologized.

"Hm…" Tsunade said. "Shizune told you about the mission, am I correct?" she said.

"Yes." Hinata said.

"You're partners today are going to be Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki. The reason that you will be going on a mission with him is because this isn't just any mission. You will be going to find out the whereabouts of Kabuto Yakushi. After we got the information out of Sasuke, we found out that Kabuto actually infused Orochimaru into himself. That's a risk we can't take seeing as he is taking over Kabuto's body. In other words, you and Sasuke along with Naruto will be gathering more information. " She said. "Sasuke knows a lot about kabuto and Orochimaru, and if he tries anything funny, you can handle him Hinata." Tsunade said.

"B-but why did you pick me?" she asked. "Why not…" and then she stopped. Many people had probably declined the mission and left Hinata, and Tsunade had to get someone to go, on top of that, Hinata had great spying skills. That and medical jutsu were her best, and if they had to fight Kabuto, Hinata would have the best chance. She nodded. But wait…did she just say SASUKE!?? "Y-you said, Naruto, he's coming too?" Hinata asked.

Tsunade smirked. "Yes. I'm sorry that you had to be the one to go. I originally intended for Ino to be taking part on this mission, but unfortunately, she declined, Sakura was too busy, and tired, none of the guys were good for this mission considering the lack medical skills, so I landed on you. I'll pay you double for this if you'll please go." Tsunade said.

Hinata wasn't one to just deny someone when they needed something. Also, this was their hokage, and she should do it. "I'll do it, Tsunade-sama…" Hinata said.

Tsunade smiled brightly. "Great!" she said.

Just as she said that, Naruto and Sasuke came in. Naruto sighed. "Alright, grandma Tsunade…what's the mission for today?" he asked. Despite his age, he still called Tsunade that. Sasuke said nothing as he approached the desk.

Hinata glanced at him out the corner of her eye. Tall, with dark navy hair, and onyx eyes. His gaze was cold and uninterested, and he looked so bored…Hinata stared at him intently. What human could live like this?

Suddenly, his eyes slowly moved to focus on her. He'd caught her staring, and that was embarrassing.

Hinata looked away quickly, fumbling with the bottom her jounin vest.

Tsunade explained the mission to Naruto and Sasuke in full detail, having to re-explain it for Naruto to finally catch on. "And this mission is not to be taken lightly. Sasuke…" Tsunade said.

He merely gazed at her.

"Do not mess up." she said.

Hinata thought that was something that Naruto would normally get told, but surprisingly…she knew what Tsunade meant though.

"Dismissed." Tsunade said as she kept her eyes on Sasuke.

He took no notice as he exited followed by Naruto and Hinata.

"Alright, here's the deal! As the obvious leader of this mission, I think we should go for ramen before we go fight sicko out there…" Naruto said with a grin on his face.

Sasuke sighed. "And what makes you think that we want to do that?" he asked.

"Well, you can't fight on an empty stomach…I don't think. Hinata, you agree, don't you?" he asked her hopefully.

Hinata smiled shyly at him. "W-well Naruto-kun, we might want to hurry, that is, if we are going to stop." she said.

"I take that as a yes!" Naruto said stalking off towards the ramen shop. Hinata shrugged and followed.

Not far behind her, Sasuke walked.

It was apparent when Hinata's body tensed up. She felt so awkward walking in front of him. Why was she thinking so silly?

It really looked like he wanted to say something, but like he decided to discard the idea of even noticing she existed. What was his major malfunction?

"SLOWPOKES!!! I could eat a thousand bowls of ramen by the time you two catch up!" Naruto yelled out.

Hinata snapped out of her daydreaming, thinking, WHATEVER you want to call it, and looked at Naruto. "O-okay." she said, "Sorry Naruto-kun." she finished.

"Don't apologize! It was a joke." he said.

The three ate in compatible silence, well, except Naruto, of course, talking even though neither of the people were truly paying attention. Eventually he noticed, in the middle of bad mouthing Sai. "…this is gonna be one long mission." he stated as he finished his third bowl. "Oh well, that's enough. Ready?" he asked with a cheeky grin.

Hinata nodded slightly and grinned back. "Of course." she said.

"Hn." Sasuke replied.

"Then let's go" he said.

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"So then, where exactly do we start?" asked Naruto after he had led his two companions confidently into the woods.

Sasuke sighed. "If you would have listened the first time I told you Naruto, you would have realized that we should be heading East, not west…" he stated blandly.

Hinata looked at Naruto and gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, w-we'll eventually find out way out of this." she said.

Sasuke began to lead the group wordlessly. Why did Naruto have to be so much like…like himself? He was completely annoying. The entire time that Sasuke had been walking with Naruto, however, he'd been observing Hinata. Feeble, yes. Quiet, checkmark, shy, yup, everything she was before. Could he pry off that hard shell she wore and bring out the more confident Hinata? This was why people said she'd never make it as a clan leader, and from the look of things, it seemed she could care less if she became one or not. She knew her sister, although she may not want to, would take her place soon if things didn't go in the other direction, and yet, she remained herself. Underneath the underneath, Sasuke found that being this way, and not changing into a more confident Hinata, she showed that she would remain herself despite what her clan thought she should do in order to become the capable leader THEY wanted. He respected that in a sense, like a double sided opinion, he supposed. A genuine girl, that's what she was.

Later on the three stopped to rest. "How long's this mission gonna take again?" asked Naruto.

"There is not time limit on it." Sasuke said. "Find and destroy Kabuto Yakushi, end of story." he stated. "You wouldn't even know how long it would actually take to take down a criminal like him." he said.

"Is he that strong now?" asked Naruto.

"He's always been strong, Naruto. He just knows how to play his lies. He's sick minded, and Orochimaru's been leading him by the nose like a master with a treat for his puppy." he said and grew silent.

"…I'm going to get water." Sasuke stated and stood to walk off. Hinata followed him with her eyes.

Naruto watched him go too. "What an ass…" he said.

Naruto simply couldn't help himself for what he was about to do.

Hinata wasn't really paying too much attention to Naruto until she heard him start snickering mischievously out of the blue. "Hey Hinata." he said as he looked over at her, his face looking like a sly snake up to some mischief.. "You know, I think Sasuke actually LIKES you, and I don't mean just as a friend, either." he said.

Hinata blushed a thousand shades of red. "W-w-what would make you think s-such a thing N-naruto-kun…?" she asked almost incoherently.

"Nothing but the fact that he asked me about you." he said as he turned around as if to end the conversation. "Why, you don't think so?" he asked.

Hinata stared at Naruto in disbelief.

"Do you want to know what he said?" Naruto asked.

"I-I'm sure that you are mistaken…" she said. "I don't b-believe it." she said

"Oh really? I guess you'll never know then." Naruto said turning his back to her. In his head, though, he was counting down from three to one and hit the pin point.

"What did he say!?" Hinata asked finally.

Naruto snickered again.

"Well? I-I don't find this in the l-least bit amusing Naruto-kun!" she said.

"It wasn't really that much, Hinata-san." Sasuke said in his deep voice.

Naruto nearly jumped head first into the bushes. "S-s-sasuke-teme! Don't scare me like that! You…"

"It's your fault in the beginning. You shouldn't be trying to tell things you think you shouldn't be telling." he said.

"What if I do think I should be telling it?" Naruto asked.

"Why did you jump like that?" Sasuke said back.

That shut Naruto up.

Hinata looked at Sasuke, red faced.

He looked back at her, and she could have sworn a small grin played on his face for the smallest instant. "It wasn't much, really. I was curious about you, that's all." he said.

To her, that sounded like a lot. I mean, Uchiha Sasuke, curious about some girl? Some girl like her? That was a lot!

"B-but w-why?" she asked.

"Would you like to come with me? I can explain." he said as he sat a large jug of water down on the ground. "Help yourself. Maybe you'll stop being a scardy-cat." Sasuke said with a light smirk as he walked off with Hinata following behind.

"Why you…" Naruto said darkly. He hadn't changed no matter what people said. He was still the Sasuke Naruto knew.

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Sasuke led Hinata to the small river that he had collected the water from and sat on a large boulder. He gestured beside him for Hinata to have a seat. "To make the whole situation sound less idiotic, I was curious about your clan." he said, making up for Naruto's idiotic-ness.

"W-what do you m-mean Sasuke?" she asked.

"I mean about the next heir, the condition of the clan…" he asked.

So this was all he was wondering about…? If that was all, Hinata knew she had nothing to worry about. "Well, as for the next heir…" she said, she suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable…must have been the topic…"I am suppose to be, but if my father deems it necessary, Hanabi Hyuuga, my sister will take that position." she answered.

"Under what conditions would he deem it necessary to remove you from the position?" he asked.

Why was she telling him all of this? The last thing Hinata expected in her life was to be talking to Sasuke Uchiha about her clan…"…If I do not find a man to marry that the Hyuuga elders…" she cut herself off. "I-I'm sorry…I'm unsure if I should be t-telling you this." she explained.

Sasuke let that almost ghostly grin overtake his face again. "Don't worry. What we say in the forest, stays in the forest. Obviously, there is something else I want to discuss with you, otherwise I wouldn't have said anything at all." he explained.

Hinata nodded. "O-of course." she said. "If I do not find a man to marry that the Hyuuga elders feel can aid me in leading my clan, or I do not join another clan in two years, they will pick the man for me. If I refuse him, then I will be sent to the side branch, where I will be branded with the curse mark and cast aside like dirt." she explained she squeezed her fist into tight balls till her palms turned white.

Sasuke took note of this. "It's okay…now about the condition…" he asked.

"The clan is a bit riled up, especially sine the announcement about me was made. They keep their eyes on me at all times, except on missions like these. " she stated.

Sasuke nodded. "I see." he said.

"So why did you want to know, Sasuke?" she asked.

"Well you may find that out soon enough." he said.

Hinata had a feeling she knew what it was, but God forbid if she was right. She knew she couldn't possibly be. Sasuke wasn't actually thinking about her to use as the person to rebuild the clan, was he??? She may be outspoken, but she knew how to gather hints and form the conclusion.

"We should head back to Naruto. He might drown in the jug of water." Sasuke said, making her snap out of her thoughts.

Hinata giggled a little at Sasuke's attempt at a joke. It was a tiny bit funny, even if it was in a way that could and could not be funny. Knowing Naruto, that could be highly possible.

Hinata followed Sasuke with more confidence and ease. She hoped that she wouldn't act all tense for the rest of the mission.

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Ah….so Sasuke's intentions start to take a more definite form….well, I hope this was a good start for this all to develop. Next chapter, there should be some more…I guess you could say, friendly interactions with Sasuke and Hinata. FRIENDLY being the clue word. I won't be posting any lemons for a bit, and I'll warn you when that happens. So for all you lemon-lovers, be patient. Please review, and I honestly enjoy getting your good feedback and constructive criticism. ! Oh, and one more thing…NO FLAMING!!! I haven't really received any, but before I do, NONE OF THAT!! Don't post anything if you didn't like it, just keep on going. You're wasting your time if you post a review like that for a story you don't like. I mean, it makes no sense… --


	3. You're infatuated

Look Beyond Onyx Eyes

Hello again!

Thanking all reviewers:

1. NanamiYatsumaki- Hello and thank you again for your review! Yes, Sasuke is actually beginning to reveal his true intentions to Hinata. Please review for this chapter!

2. Winterkaguya- Yeah, I don't like fast fics, that includes this one. Yeah, it's such a coincidence, but I thought it would make for a good plot. I'm sure it might actually be going cliché cause I know other people have used this, but if you can make a cliché plot original, you can do anything, and so I'm trying! Thank you, and I'll be updating No shame soon, but Trials is on hold…I'm really disappointed in that fic.

3.1moonwitch-thank you so very much! I try not to be blotchy with my stories, so I'm happy that you enjoy it.

4. Foreveralone16-Thanks! Yup, THE Sasuke attempted to make a joke, although it was slightly deadpanned, he tried…I guess that's all that matters, right? I do my best not to make characters OC, I can't stand it, and so I'm going to keep trying to keep them in character. You don't have to wait any longer, here is chapter 3.

5.de-ji bebi- You like story, you get update. LOL, here you go! I'm happy you liked it, really I am. Naruto will be happy, but that comes later .

6. ILOVEmoney- Thank you, thank you! You'll see what happens. Sasuke isn't really mean, he's just a little conceited and full of himself, which makes him appear mean. That's just his character, so of course I won't make him all evil and all that . Here is your update!

7. Kitsune shi-…Hmm…it kinda is a test run, since I've never written a SasuHina before. I'm happy you liked it, and here you go!

8. Heavenleehime-Hello! Happy you're hooked, and I hope you stay hooked! Thanks for reviewing my story, and I can't wait to finish reading yours!

9. Kenshinlover2002-Thank you. I'll tell you what he's thinking: HINATA. Yup, all Hinata, 100 JK…but seriously, he's thinking….aw, can't spoil it, keep reading to find out Thanks for your review!

10. Chibismiles5266-Thank you very much. I think everyone would flip out, every girl anyway (…maybe guys…who knows…) if Sasuke said that he was curious about them. I would , thank you, and here is the next chapter!

Okay, with all of my thanking out of the way, here is the chapter!

Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN NARUTO!!! Otherwise, this wouldn't be a fan fiction. This would be a million dollar reality and it WOULD happen!

Okay, chapter 3...

Chapter three: You're Infatuated

When Hinata and Sasuke finally came back, Naruto eyed them suspiciously. "What took you two so long, teme?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sasuke looked at him and smirked. "And why do you want to know? Are you jealous?" he asked.

Naruto noticed he was in an unusually high spirited mood. "Oh? Why are YOU in such a good mood?" he asked.

Sasuke sat down. "Hn." he said ignoring his question with his famous two letter "word".

The sky grew darker and there was little conversation going on between the three. When the sky started to show signs of dusk, Hinata stood up to go to a tent she'd set up for herself. Naruto had long since turned in after he had a stomach full of instant ramen. Who knew he'd settle for river water? Sasuke, who was sitting on the log glanced over to Hinata when he noticed he was leaving. "Turning in so early?" he asked.

"Yes. I think we should be up early so we can continue on forward." she said. She looked over at Sasuke and eyed him. "What about you?" she asked.

Sasuke stared at her for a moment before looking up. "I'll stay up a little longer." he said. "You know, it is also bad to get too much rest." he said. "You'll have a headache in the morning if you go to sleep too soon." he said.

Hianta nodded. "Yes, I suppose." she said. She went into the tent and set up her sleeping bag before coming out and joining Sasuke on the log for a little longer. The only noise was that of the crickets and roosting birds in the trees, moving their wings which rustle leaves.

"Peaceful night." Sasuke said to break the silence. "I use to do this, just sit out here and do this when Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi were on missions with me. They'd go to sleep early, and I'd always volunteer to keep watch." he said.

Hinata nodded. "They never allowed me to keep watch." she replied.

Sasuke rose an eyebrow.

"Maybe because…t-they thought…" she said.

"It doesn't matter." Sasuke said, interrupting her.

"S-sasuke…may I please ask…why were you so curious about me? I really want to know." she said quietly. "I mean, I'm not really the type people are just I-interested in all of a sudden. Most of the time, it's the other way around." she said not making eye contact with him.

He smirked. "Maybe it's because I just like you." he said. "You aren't annoying like most other people I know. You could be the exact opposite." he replied. "Is there something wrong with that?" he asked.

"I, um, well, there isn't anything, you know wrong, b-but I've just never known you to be curious about…anyone….any girls…no matter what it was for." she said, feeling slightly stupid about how it came out.

Sasuke chuckled. "You want to know why?" he asked. "It's because all my life, the only girls I've ever really known are my mother, and Sakura. You know about the first person, but Sakura was not only a teammate, she was an annoying leech like the rest of the girls in Konoha." he said. "And she couldn't take a hint. So of course, she was like every other girl, and I didn't really care, because they'd throw themselves at me with the composure of a thread."

Hinata let all this information soak in. Thank kami she wasn't like Sakura or Ino, and didn't chase him like some fool. She wouldn't want anyone to think of her that way.

"Well then…I suppose I should turn in now." she said. 

Sasuke nodded. "Good night Hinata." he said.

"…Good night, Sasuke-kun." she said.

Sasuke stood up and headed for his tent. He never enjoyed it when the girls would run up to him, saying Sasuke-kun over and over again like it was the only word they knew, or just say it without knowing whether or not he accepted them enough to even use to term on the end of his name. When Hinata said it, it didn't sound maniacal or silly, it sounded just like it should, and he couldn't put his finger on it, but he decided he didn't mind if she called him that. He closed his tent, but he didn't sleep right away.

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Hinata couldn't really sleep. It was nearly 1:00 and she couldn't sleep an ounce. She activated her Byakugan frequently just to see if something was near that was bothering her. She knew that Sasuke and Naruto had long since fallen asleep from the steady breathing from Sasuke, the way you breathe when you sleep, and Naruto's tossing and turning, mumbling stuff, drooling, and sometimes going into a fit of loud snoring. She had to keep herself from bursting out laughing at Naruto's numerous bad sleeping habits.

She decided to go through some of the papers on the mission. Such a dangerous mission it was, and she, at first, slightly wished that Sakura wasn't in her predicament so she could have come instead of her, but after her small talk with Sasuke, she thought otherwise. He seemed like someone she could easily get use to being with. As a matter of fact, she rather liked him. He'd always been charming physically, dark hair in an unruly but attractive style, lean body, built just right, and a cool attitude to go along with it. She'd never go near him because of his renowned personality. Every girl described him as so cool, even though he rejected them all like junk mail, and the boys described him as stuck up, conceited, self assured, anything that was negative and made him seem narcissistic.

Although talking to him for those minutes may not have shown her everything, Hinata understood he had a past to back up his ways, and she felt especially lucky to have seen even the smallest glimpse of the real him. She could stare into those blank black eyes forever and not understand him, but when she took a closer look, listened to him a little, she could look beyond those onyx eyes and see the true him clear as day. What he meant through that entire conversation: Everyone else was too shallow to see him for who he really was.

She stopped spying on his sleeping frame, and snuggled into her sleeping bag, soaking in all it's heat against the cool forest night. She thought she head a chuckle, but it couldn't be real. She was just tired…

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_Are you infatuated?_

_You're definitely infatuated._

_Too bad._

_I'm going to take him away._

_You're in love._

_But you can't have him._

_I'm going to destroy him, like I said I would do_

_When he first took away my only reason for life_

_But thank me. You'd be dead without me, remember?_

Hinata woke up in a cold sweat. She was breathing heavily, her chest heaved in and out from such a strange dream. Who was that voice? It was haunting, chilling. What did they mean?

She stopped thinking when her vision caught up with her, and the sun glared through her tent angrily.

She groaned slightly, unzipping the bag, and folding it up She placed it in her pack and stepped out, ruffling her hair slightly so it would fall back in place. Naruto and Sasuke were already done packing, and were finishing things up making sure to cover up any evidence that any ninja were there before.

"Morning Hinata!" Naruto said with his usual excitement.

"Good morning Naruto." Hinata said kindly as she began to undo the tent.

"Hey Hinata." Sasuke said.

Hinata turned to see him.

He threw a breakfast bar her way. "We don't really have time for a lain out breakfast." he said as if he could care less about food itself.

The bar he threw her was made especially for ninja since they couldn't always afford to sit down in the middle of impending danger on missions like these and eat real food. It would fill them up, the equivalent to an actual breakfast. Hinata thanked him and opened it, eating it slowly as she continued to get everything packed.

When the trio was done, they huddled around Sasuke to examine their instructions.

"Sound is still a long way away. We have two minor villages to get through before we even reach the borders." Sasuke explained. The first one, Tanzaku town, we won't get to for another 2 days. After that one, Kashi town is 3 days away. Of course, we'll gather information on his latest movements on our way, and if we're headed the wrong way, we'll switch directions. He was last spotted in Otogakure though." Sasuke explained.

"We're entering illegally, aren't we?" Hinata asked.

Sasuke nodded. "The country is collapsing anyway because Orochimaru is dead, and Kabuto isn't doing anything so far. It wouldn't really matter. Leave all that up to me though." Sasuke said.

Naruto sighed. "Leave everything up to you, huh? Does everything have to be up to you?" he asked shrugging.

"In this case it does dobe." Sasuke replied.

Naruto growled. "Whatever. Let's just go."

A little further into their travels, they finally made it out of the vast forest they were in, and made it into a grassy area, extending for as far as the eyes could see.

"It's a wonder we haven't run into any rouge ninja or anything…" Naruto said looking quite bored. He was always up for a fight, and there was just no action.

Sasuke looked back at Hinata, who was following behind them. Hen noticed the dazed look in her ivory-violet eyes. "Something bothering you Hinata…?" he asked.

Hinata said nothing, and continued to look forward.

"Hinata." Sasuke said a bit more firmly.

Hinata shook her head and looked at him. "S-sasuke…sorry." she said.

"What's bothering you. Spill it. It's all over your face." he said.

Hinata hesitated. "If I told you, you'd think I was crazy." she said.

"Hn…" he said. That 'Hn' was for thought. "What makes you think that?" he asked.

"…I don't know…I-it just seems…" she said.

"Go on Hinata!" Naruto chimed in.

Hinata looked over to Naruto. She'd almost forgotten he was with them.

Sasuke shot Naruto a glare.

Naruto turned around. "Okay. Sorry for being concerned for my friend…" he said as he started to walk forward a bit.

"No Naruto-kun…I mean….it's okay, you didn't do anything wrong…" she said.

"Nah, go ahead. Sasuke seems to be really understanding nowadays. Since…yesterday maybe?" he asked as he kept walking.

Hinata felt slightly guilty even though she didn't really do anything.

"Don't worry. You can talk to Sasuke. I'm scouting for anything with a headband on to attack." Naruto said with some humor involved as he gave a wild smirk and walked ahead.

"Go on now." Sasuke said.

"I had this dream. I couldn't see a thing, but I heard a voice." she said. I don't really remember what they said…not at the moment, but all I could see, and it was at the very end, were a bunch of feathe-" Hinata was cut off as the sound of a kunai zipped past her hair, nicking her ear and hitting the tree behind her.

She stood frozen from the shock.

Sasuke immediately switched to battle mode.

Naruto, who heard the sound too, ran over. "What happened!?" he demanded.

Hinata activated her Byakugan. She saw nothing, no chakra but that around her from Sasuke and Naruto and her own was present. Strange…someone must be masking their chakra. Where were they?

"Hinata. Keep watch with your Byakugan." Sasuke demanded. "Naruto, stand by Hinata." he said as he jumped over to where the kunai hit. No paper bombs, no sealing tags, nothing. But there was a note attached to the kunai, and he wasn't stupid enough to just open it.

"Hinata…" he asked.

She nodded and walked over to his side. For the second time, she activated her Byakugan, and examined the note on the kunai thoroughly. "There doesn't appear to be anything out of place about the note…" she said.

Sasuke snatched the kunai from the tree, and unraveled the note carefully, despite Hinata's discoveries. A nice hand writing displayed a message with nothing but malice to describe its words. Two simple words: _In Tanzaku._

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed, and sensing something else, he activated his Sharingan. A whizzing sound was heard.

"MOVE!" Naruto said.

Another kunai, and this time, attached was an exploding tag. Sasuke grabbed Hinata and jumped away from it, the blast sending him farther than he intended.

Hinata tumbled over, falling just a bit away from Sasuke. She sat up slowly, and Sasuke stood to help her up.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun." she said appreciatively.

"What was that? Are you okay Hinata?" Naruto asked.

Hinata nodded.

"Somebody wants to meet us in Tanzaku town." Sasuke said.

"What did it say?" Naruto asked impatiently.

"…In Tanzaku." Sasuke replied.

Hinata looked back at the tree, which was blown to bits. She looked at Sasuke. She could have saved herself…but then to, she was a step behind him. With his Sharingan in, he could anticipate the moves of the kunai. Maybe it was a good idea for him to do that.

"In any case, we should keep moving forward. Keep your eyes peeled." Sasuke said.

Neither of them sensed any chakra, no matter how strong Hinata made her Byakugan. The strange dream, vision described it better, this,…what did it all mean?

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"In all honesty Hiashi, you can't protect her forever!" an elder argued with Hiashi during a meeting. "Do you honestly expect HER to go off and find a husband? Impossible. She's too much like a weak kid and not an adult to even think about it. I wouldn't be surprised if she simply stepped down herself." the elder said.

Hanabi sat in her seat, a stern look on her face. Even though she couldn't show it, she loathed the elders for being so crude. She despised them for doubting her sister.

"If I may interject, Hinata-sama has shown some improvements. Maybe we should allow her the time anyway." a younger member said.

"Nonsense! We shouldn't have given her the two years to begin with! Do you not understand we are wasting precious time!? We need to start training the heir, now!" said another member.

Hiashi wasn't going to put up much of a fight. He was pretty much letting the council speak for themselves. At the end, he'd make his decision. It wasn't that he despised Hinata entirely, he just seemed to think she needed much more of a push when it came to it. She had to be toughened, but she didn't understand that herself.

"If we take what we said back, then she'll be sent to the branch family immediately when she returns. As we've been informed, Tsunade has sent her on a mission that will take a while to complete." another elder said calmly. "She wouldn't have the time to protest."

"And who says she will?" another asked. "She hasn't been taking her place seriously-"

"At that, I have to protest…" Hanabi said.

"You are out of line!" the oldest member said.

"If I may…" Hanabi said.

The attention of all the elders was on her.

"My sister was born before me. She is the oldest, and not only that," she paused, "She has taken her place seriously her entire life. She trained relentlessly to become something worthy of recognition, and has tried to overcome her weaknesses to be a pleasing leader. She agreed to these terms you set, and didn't complain." Hanabi said. "And also, it would be unjust if you took what you said back while she is not present. It is in documentation, is it not?" she asked.

The elders murmured amongst themselves.

"That is a flimsy reason, Hanabi-sama." an elder spoke. "Just because she TRIED does not make her worthy. She has to be leader material."

"And I think she is. Her perseverance is leadership enough. A lot of you could learn from her." she said. Hanabi's face was in a scowl.

"Do you not remember, Hanabi-sama, that if she does become the heir that you will be the one cast to the branch family and branded with the curse mark?" an elder said.

Hanabi closed her eyes and hesitated. "I do. 'she said. "But why are you showing concern for me? What about Hinata? Do you not feel the same way? Does it not matter if she's placed in the branch family?" she asked.

It was silent. "Whether you admit it or not, you are the one with the most promising leadership skills…" the oldest elder said. "And you would accept such a curse…"

Hanabi stood. "Yes. Because I can handle it. Hinata wouldn't be able to live knowing that all her hard work was for nothing. I know my place." she said. "I understand that living that life may not be within my best interest, but it was the path that was meant for me in the beginning, and I intend to go through with it." she said.

More silence.

"Hanabi, step down." Hiashi said firmly.

Hanabi hesitated, but did so and sat.

"Hinata has shy qualities about her…" he said, "But with the right amount of mental training, she can go through with it." he explained.

"We've been doing that all her life!" the elder said.

"I understand that, but maybe not in the correct manner." Hiashi said.

"She has too much freedom, hanging around with those other rambunctious people, it cancels out everything we teach her." said an elder. "And if she was to marry, who do you think she'd chose? No one promising. I can tell just by her personality the type of person she'd chose to marry. At least I know that it wouldn't be anyone worth helping lead our clan to prosperity." said another elder.

"And you know that how?" asked Hiashi.

"Because you see the friends she brings over…?" the oldest elder asked. "I've seen them, those girls…shameless…They don't teach her anything but the ways they know…"

"There are no other clans in Konoha worthy enough for this clan." said another member. "What person do you think we'd be able to pick for her? We already decided we'd much rather have someone from Konoha than an outsider."

"…There is one person…" Hiashi said.

"And? Does that help the matter of her being a leader?"

"Yes…actually it does. The person I'm thinking of would not only be her husband, but also someone who would help boost her confidence." he said.

"And who would this be?" asked the oldest elder.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

"Are you mad!? He just came back from a man who was wanted forever, betrayed our village, and his clan is gone!?" an elder asked.

"That's the point. He also killed that man, and returned, and is conducting a mission that will prove his loyalty to Konoha for good. Not to mention it is with Hinata. Also, because he's the last of his clan, our clan could gain a power that's been gone for a very long time through the last Uchiha alive." Hiashi said.

There was a lot of discussion and chatter.

When it finally died down, the oldest member looked to Hiashi. "It seems to be a good idea…we won't know until we try it ourselves." he said. "We'll pick this discussion up later when we've come to a conclusion…" the elder said.

Hiashi nodded.

Most of the members looked displeased with the oldest members decision, but had no choice but to comply.

"Dismissed." the oldest elder said.

Hanabi dusted herself off and stretched.

"Hanabi…" Hiashi said.

She looked over to her father expectantly.

"When they return…see to it that the Uchiha is in contact with Hinata. We want him to want her." he said.

Hanabi hesitated. "I understand." she said.

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Uh oh…. Thanks for reading. You know the deal. Please review, blah blah…do I really have to tell you? Ahead of time, thanks!


	4. Dance

Look Beyond Onyx Eyes

Ello!! I'm back, and I bring with me a chapter! Chapter four!

Thanks to:

1. Winterkaguya-(hugs back) thank you so much. I had so much confidence when I started the sequel, and now I've lost it, not to mention the fact that since I've found so many new pairings that I enjoy now I don't really cling to gaaHina so much anymore. Oh well, we'll just have to see. Hanabi the lawyer…LOL. I decided to make Hanabi sound like that because, I mean, look what she has to deal with? Elders hanging on her sleeves, a genius cousin, smart herself, so I thought, why not? I'm so happy you liked this chappie, it always makes my day when you review! Ciao!

2. Puertorrican-babe-Exactly. He already is, and do I have a surprise for her when they return . Please keep reviewing, and thanks!

3. Kenshinlover2002-yeah, the elders are complete jerks. They all jump at the chance to take poor Hinata's birthright away from her. Well, we all know what happens in the end, right? Thank you, and here is your update!

4. TaichiSpirit- Thanks much! I'm happy it did that for you, I tried to make it good! Here is the new chapter

5. Toni(anonymous)-Thank you very much. Yes, Hinata probably does want to be a side member, but then to, either way she goes, she'll have rotten luck, that's the bad thing. Well, we'll see. Thank you for your review.

6. Heavenleehime- Well, hopefully, your questions will be answered throughout the story! I'm glad you hate the elders, because that was what was suppose to happen! They're like one of her enemies. Here is your update!

7. NanamiYatsumaki-thank you very much. I'm glad it's smooth enough for you! And hello!

8. De-ji bebi- Thanks. Yeah, my school won't let me get on this site, hence another reason why I can't update as frequently as I'd like. I mean, I have a whole period where I just sit at a computer, and they block THIS site. ((complains more)), I'm glad you like my story, and you'll see who. It's actually a bit surprising who wants to kill Sasuke, but the reason why it's surprising is because it's the real person who wants to kill Sasuke in actuality. I hope that gives you something to think about, and here's the chapter!

9. Thien Minh- Thank you! I thought the combination of the three as friends would be good. You'll see them this chapter…Sasuke and Hinata…glad you like how their developing!

10. Madteen66- Yeah. Don't you just hate them?

11. Sesskagtrueluv-Thank you! I try, I try. I'm really glad you like it, and here is a new chappie for you!

You all are the backbone to this story. Without you all, there is no story! So accept my gift, chapter 4!

THERE WILL BE SASUHINA INTIMACY IN THIS CHAPTER. It's nothing that'll burn your eyes out, it's actually quite mild, so don't expect anything extreme.

Chapter four: Dance

Again, night fell on the travelers. They were still in the grassy area, which seemed to have no end. Hinata almost wondered if they were heading in the right direction. She noticed they were when she saw faint lights.

"Even though it looks close, it's still very far away. The plains are so flat that you can see for miles." Sasuke explained.

Hinata nodded. She had to believe him, because they kept walking closer, but the town never seemed to move. Naruto suggested that they find some tall grass and camp out there for the night, and the other two agreed.

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It always seemed like Naruto was the first to doze off whenever they camped out. Maybe it was because he used the most energy with his enthusiasm. Hinata soon wished that there was a place where she could refresh herself. If only there was some water nearby, but it seemed impossible to find anywhere to refresh herself with water when they were in the middle of plains…On missions like these, when the convenience of a shower or a hot bath were absent, Hinata enjoyed the cool feel of water against her skin when they were by a river or a stream or something. But then too, how would grass grow so tall and look so healthy if there wasn't water somewhere near?

She scanned the area, focusing on areas with low temperatures and small masses of chakra that would belong to creatures living in the water, and she found a couple of spots but they weren't bodies of water. She was just about to deactivate her Byakugan when she spotted something that seemed promising. Standing up and heading off towards it, Hinata was lucky to find a stream that was hidden by tall grass. It was perfect, and Hinata could definitely use it. The water was clear, and she wouldn't be bothered with tall grass surrounding the quiet stream like this…she began to remove her clothing piece by piece, laying them out neatly for her convenience.

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Sasuke discarded his shirt in the tent as he prepared to settle in for the night. He'd just finished scouting out the area for their "friends" and was about to rest when he heard some commotion from outside. He wondered what whoever it was was up to when he saw a shadow bound out of the spot they were in.

Coming out of his tent, he activated his Sharingan and followed a blue colored mass of chakra. He was quiet as he moved through the grass, finally stopping to find Hinata at a small stream, undressing herself. Sasuke knew he shouldn't be here watching her do this, but his eyes didn't cooperate with his brain as they stayed glued to the undressing woman. She lifted her shirt off of her and undid binding around her chest and stomach, exposing her creamy colored skin. A red lingerie bra was undone as she cast it aside as well. As she turned towards her discarded clothes to remove her pants, Sasuke could see her full breasts and toned stomach. Her delicate fingers undid the messy ponytail in her head after all her other clothing was discarded, letting her long rifts of dark violet hair fall over her shoulders. Ninja was suppose to be roughened up because of they're job, how was she so delicate looking?

Sasuke swore he'd never seen something so beautiful in his entire life. Her shapely form, her docile expression, and those white lavender eyes…no other woman in Konoha compared. He felt so dirty spying on her like this, but what guy in their right mind would pass this up, even Sasuke? He followed her curvy form towards the stream with his eyes. The water was shallow, and came just up to her knees. He watched as she scooped up cool water, letting it fall over her shoulders, and when she dipped down he could feel his pants tightening. This was too much for him. He longed to run out to her and hold her down.. Then, he saw her look around a bit. She stopped.

Sasuke subconsciously shrunk back a little, hopping she didn't get the impression he was there watching her.

Then she did something unexpected. She started to dance.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he witnessed the dancing. It was erotic, very erotic what she was doing. They ways she bended her body so flexibly and the way she elegantly moved across the water. Who knew a ninja could be so very gentle with such movements? Water came around her in an unreal display as it moved around her dancing body, making it so her form was now only a silhouette. The water formed an orb around her as it sent ripples down its' sides. He could watch this forever. To think that Hinata of all the people could be so…so very…desirable, sexy? But then to, he had chosen her to pursue… Maybe he shouldn't feel so guilty for watching her.

Gathering the courage, Sasuke moved out of the grass.

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Hinata danced vibrantly to her own imaginative tune. She felt so wonderful…it had been ages since she'd done this, so she thought she might be getting a bit rusty with her movements, but she got back into flow as she got use to it again. She let her body control her as she moved easily. Most would consider her dancing a form of temptation, but it wasn't the sexual display she was setting that made her like this so, but rather the beauty of it. People thought Hinata was just some innocent girl with no knowledge of anything, but when it came down to it, Hinata knew what she was doing. Dancing was a passion of hers, and it was part of her, and so like Ino liked flowers, and Ten Ten enjoyed collecting weapons, Hinata liked dancing.

She heard some grass rustle, and instantly, the water fell back into the stream, resuming it's travel to wherever the stream led to. Hinata glanced around nervously, but saw no one She stood frozen.

"…Hinata…" a deep masculine voice said. It couldn't be…but it sounded so much like him it had to be…"S-sasuke-kun…?" Hinata said. "Please, stay where your are!" she asked franticly.

"I've already seen." he said.

Hinata's eyes widened. She was ugly, wasn't she? He must have thought so, and just when she was starting to form some kind of bond with Sasuke too. Just great.

Hinata desperately tried to get to her clothing, but before she could manage to get there, strong arms folded themselves around her from behind. "Sasuke…?" she asked again. She could feel his bare, muscular chest pressing against her wet backside.

"Hm…" was his reply.

"Why…why are you…?" she couldn't really finish.

"Do you not want me here? I can leave if that's what you wish…" he said.

Hinata tried to glance back at him, but she saw nothing but a few strips of the dark hair on his head. "It's not that I-" Hinata was cut off as Sasuke spun her around. She was facing Sasuke, and he was staring deeply into the girls' eyes. "So no then?" he asked, his face moving steadily towards hers.

Hinata felt so right in his arms like this. His gaze was making her body tense with some unknown feeling. Here she was, Hinata Hyuuga, naked in front of Sasuke Uchiha, him holding her like this, he could do anything, she could WANT anything. Her mind was letting possible images of what they could do run through her head, then she remembered something…

"No. Stay…" Hinata said.

Sasuke smirked at her. His lips moved to hers, kissing them softly. She tasted faintly of tea, and smelled like lilac or lily. Whatever the case, she was definitely intoxicating.

Hinata couldn't believe this, it was so simple, the kiss was, and yet she felt her body stirring with some foreign desire.

They soon parted, the night's moon illuminating both of them faintly.

Sasuke let go of Hinata staring into her eyes intently. "You should get dressed now and we should head back…" he said to her, still looking at her with those mesmerizing eyes as he toyed with some of her hair.

Hinata nodded numbly. She felt so mesmerized it was strange. She had started to develop a liking for the Uchiha, but now, her overall opinion of him sky rocketed.

Once Hinata was fully clothed, Sasuke guided her back to the tent area bidding her goodnight as he went back into his tent.

As Hinata laid there, she couldn't help but let the event run wild through her head over and over, until she drifted off into a comfortable sleep.

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Hinata awoke that next morning a still a bit tired. She didn't know why, she'd gotten plenty of rest. She packed up her sleeping bag and all the other items in her tent so that she could join her other two companions. Her mind ventured to Sasuke and that night…what did this mean? Was it all just an accident? She thought it was silly. Maybe they were just in the moment…

"Morning Hinata!" Naruto screamed.

Hinata jumped a little as the loud blond had startled her. "O-oh…Ohayou Naruto-kun…" she said quietly.

"We're not going to eat breakfast until we reach Tanzaku." Naruto explained to her. "We're that close!" he said happily.

"I see." Hinata replied not really worried about food, or Tanzaku, or anything, just Sasuke. Where was he anyway? "Naruto…?" Hinata began to ask.

"Hm?" Naruto asked as he finished packing up things.

"Where is-"

"Looking for me?" Sasuke asked.

Hinata turned around to see Sasuke behind her. "Oh…" she said.

Sasuke smirked at her as he walked forward a bit.

Even though she shouldn't be, because there was apparently no problem with it to him, she felt slightly self conscious, him seeing her last night. She also felt silly, for worrying about it. She was an adult, an adult who could make her own decisions, or some anyway, and then she thought she was rambling in her head about nothing. There was nothing to be worried about.

Getting all his own things, Sasuke pulled their map back out, showing them it would only be another 4 or 5 hours before they reached Tanzaku. After they drank water that Sasuke had gotten, they departed again.

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It was a little too silent for Naruto's liking. Normally, even with two quiet people like Hinata and Sasuke, it was much more fun. "Guys…did you not drink enough water or something, are your mouths glued together? TALK PLEASE!!" Naruto asked almost pleadingly. They'd been walking for three hours and no conversation had been sparked.

"….Fine. What would you like us to say?" Sasuke asked crossing his arms as he made his sarcastic remark.

"We'll, I don't know, say something!" he said.

Sasuke winked at Hinata, and Hinata winked back. "Okay then. Hinata, how'd you sleep?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto could have sworn he was about to explode. It had been ten minutes, and of all the dirty evil things they could do…"Okay, now you're talking, but did it ever occur to you that, oh, I don't know…I AM HERE TOO!?" he asked.

Hinata couldn't contain herself. She burst out laughing, Sasuke chuckling only a little. "I-I'm sorry N-naruto-kun, I-it was just so funny."

"So he waited ten minutes. That's not right, I thought he'd start going mad in about one minute." Sasuke said.

"Whatever. I swear, you two should just…go out already!" Naruto said pouting. "Ganging up on me…" he said under his breath.

"Maybe we will." Sasuke said looking over at Hinata.

Silence.

Hinata stared at Sasuke. Did he mean that?

"I knew it. It isn't that hard to see Hinata." Naruto said smirking at her teasingly.

Hinata's face turned completely red.

"In any case, we're really close to Tanzaku, so whatever words you two want to spit at each other right about now, you might as well wait. I don't really wanna be around to hear it." Naruto said.

Hinata smiled and kept walking. She really couldn't believe it, but she hoped that he was serious. She definitely wouldn't mind if they went out…

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Sasuke kept his eyes peeled. "Remember what that note said…" he reminded them. All three companions kept their eyes around the city. This was the place that their enemy was expecting them at. "Splitting up is not an option, don't let your guard down, be careful who you speak to, and if you speak, keep it at a minimum…" Sasuke looked at Naruto. "Alright, so are you saying you don't trust me?" he asked.

"It's just a fact that you're the loudest one that is most prone to slip up any information even if you don't mean it." Sasuke explained.

Naruto sighed. "Fine.", but he sure could go for ripping Sasuke's head off right now…Who died and made him leader anyway?

"We need to sleep light, and be prepared. Keep your weapons near you, but unseen so the enemy won't get suspicious." Sasuke warned.

Hinata and Naruto nodded.

"That's it." he said. By the time they'd gotten into Tanzaku, it was almost noon. All of them were about to eat the dirt off the ground if they didn't find some food.

"Maybe we should just keep going?" Hinata asked as they ate a bowl of ramen ((Naruto's offer…))

Sasuke shook his head. "It's safer in towns usually, and also our enemy is here, it is important to eliminate any threats to the mission as long as we're here." he said quietly, keeping an eye on the man on the far end of the ramen stand.

"Yeah…you're right." Hinata replied.

"They could follow us…" Naruto put in.

Both Sasuke and Hinata nodded.

"Tonight, we'll stay at that inn down there…" Sasuke pointed towards a small inn. "I have a feeling these people aren't just rouge ninja looking for trouble."

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That night, Sasuke and Naruto stayed on either side of Hinata's inn room. Even though she was a ninja, the thought of someone sneaking in her room at night while she was asleep was enough to make her skin crawl any day. She wasn't going to slack off though. Hinata made sure her window was closed, and scanned the area for unfamiliar, uncivilian-like chakra, and found none, the closest threats being Naruto and Sasuke's charka signatures. She placed her hair in a loose braid and clasped her bed clothing together. She then slipped a kunai up each sleeve of her shirt, placing them securely on the weapon holders on each arm, and put one under her pillow. She heard a knock and activated her Byakugan. Seeing it was Sasuke, she opened it. "Hey. Just reminding you to keep sharp and sleep light." he said to her. "If they haven't attacked yet, it means they'll be attacking soon." he said. "I already spoke to Naruto…"

Hinata nodded.

Sasuke tilted her face up, forcing her to look into his dark eyes. "If you get into conflict, know I'll be listening. I'll come for you." he said.

Hinata blushed slightly. "Okay…Sasuke." she said quietly.

He stepped back and left her.

Hinata closed her door and locked it along with the window. She turned off her lights, and closed her eyes, listening closely to the sounds around her.

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A/N: In all honestly, I don't think this is the best chapter I've written by a long shot, but if you all like it, I'm glad. This is also the shortest chapter I've written…I think. Sasuke and Hinata are finally on higher terms Anyway, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but when it does come out, please be cool and review. See you all next chapter!


	5. Update comes soon!

A/N: I did the same thing for my story "No Shame" and I apologize to all my diligent reviewers, and I want to let you all know I have not forgotten about this story. I will be updating very soon, it might be next week, probably in the middle of the week, and when I do, I hope you all will continue to review! Kisses and hugs!


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